“It isn’t easy to change the world...but you’ve got to keep trying”
Arctic Zoo is an inspiring YA contemporary about fighting for what you believe in - no matter the cost.
Through the story of two teenagers with very different lives, Muchamore shows that although their worlds and environments may be different, fundamentally, the problems teenagers face growing up are the same.
Both Julius and Georgia are experiencing family problems whilst trying to figure out who they are. Both are coming to terms with their emerging sexuality and the pressure to fit it. These characters were fantastic. Engaging and tenacious, whilst still being young and believable, I fell in love with them from page one, especially Julius.
Short chapters make this an easy read but the alternating points of view do make this book read more like two separate stories. I feel like each narrative could have been written as it’s own book and it would not have detracted from the end result. Having said that the contrasting worlds do create a jarring juxtaposition between the lives of these two characters.
Julius is growing up in Nigeria where the majority of the population are poor, however due to his families’ political standing they are extremely rich. But this standing comes at a price - their safety is often at risk and as a result Julius has very little freedom.
Georgia on the other hand does not come from a wealthy family. Instead she come from a working class family in England. And as her parents are separated and her older sister committed suicide, she finds she has more freedom than most 14/15 year olds.
Based on the synopsis I thought Arctic Zoo would focus on Julius and Georgia’s relationship in the mental health facility however for the majority of the book the two main characters haven’t even met and are in totally different countries. Instead we see what led up to them being in the same mental health facility and the time they do spend together is brief. Personally I really would have liked more of their time together. Their relationship was engaging and it would have been great to see this developed further.
It’s clear from reading this book that hours of research have gone into making this as authentic as possible. The scenes in Nigeria felt disturbingly real and made it clear how difficult life is for so many people in countries where political corruption and civil unrest is the norm, and the innocent suffer for the crime of being poor.
A word of warning, Muchamore likes to tackle heavy topics and Arctic Zoo was no different. Bribery, corruption, violence, mental health and sexuality are all covered.
Arctic Zoo is a YA contemporary full of emotion and heartbreak, whilst being hopeful and honest. Unexpected but still very enjoyable!
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Arctic Zoo is an inspiring YA contemporary about fighting for what you believe in - no matter the cost.
Through the story of two teenagers with very different lives, Muchamore shows that although their worlds and environments may be different, fundamentally, the problems teenagers face growing up are the same.
Both Julius and Georgia are experiencing family problems whilst trying to figure out who they are. Both are coming to terms with their emerging sexuality and the pressure to fit it. These characters were fantastic. Engaging and tenacious, whilst still being young and believable, I fell in love with them from page one, especially Julius.
Short chapters make this an easy read but the alternating points of view do make this book read more like two separate stories. I feel like each narrative could have been written as it’s own book and it would not have detracted from the end result. Having said that the contrasting worlds do create a jarring juxtaposition between the lives of these two characters.
Julius is growing up in Nigeria where the majority of the population are poor, however due to his families’ political standing they are extremely rich. But this standing comes at a price - their safety is often at risk and as a result Julius has very little freedom.
Georgia on the other hand does not come from a wealthy family. Instead she come from a working class family in England. And as her parents are separated and her older sister committed suicide, she finds she has more freedom than most 14/15 year olds.
Based on the synopsis I thought Arctic Zoo would focus on Julius and Georgia’s relationship in the mental health facility however for the majority of the book the two main characters haven’t even met and are in totally different countries. Instead we see what led up to them being in the same mental health facility and the time they do spend together is brief. Personally I really would have liked more of their time together. Their relationship was engaging and it would have been great to see this developed further.
It’s clear from reading this book that hours of research have gone into making this as authentic as possible. The scenes in Nigeria felt disturbingly real and made it clear how difficult life is for so many people in countries where political corruption and civil unrest is the norm, and the innocent suffer for the crime of being poor.
A word of warning, Muchamore likes to tackle heavy topics and Arctic Zoo was no different. Bribery, corruption, violence, mental health and sexuality are all covered.
Arctic Zoo is a YA contemporary full of emotion and heartbreak, whilst being hopeful and honest. Unexpected but still very enjoyable!
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️